Funding programs

Learn about the funding programs available to improve connectivity in communities across the province.

Connecting Communities BC

Connecting Communities BC is the Province's funding program to expand high-speed internet services to all remaining underserved households in B.C. by 2027.

On March 8, 2022, the Province and the federal government signed an up to $830 million high-speed internet expansion agreement. This investment will fund projects to reach the remaining underserved rural, remote, and Indigenous communities in B.C.

Funded projects will meet the federal minimum target of 50/10 Mbps by 2027. The program will also fund the province's commitment to connect all remaining First Nations communities by 2027, a key commitment of the Declaration Act Action Plan.

Click on a button below to learn about the program, who is eligible, and how to apply.

Apply to Connecting Communities BC

Access the Recipient Toolkit

Connecting British Columbia

Connecting British Columbia program is the Province's previous funding program before Connecting Communities BC. It is administered by Northern Development Initiative Trust. Applications for this program are closed and projects are in progress or have been completed. The program has funded 184 projects since 2017 that will benefit more than 70,000 households in B.C.

The Connecting British Columbia program has also funded the expansion of cellular networks in B.C. It allocated $15 million to improve cellular connectivity on highways. This will connect 532 km of highway kilometres and 30 rest areas. This includes 252 kilometres and two rest areas along Highway 16.

Connecting cellular gaps between communities along Highway 16 is one of the Highway of Tears Symposium Report’s 33 recommendations. This recommendation was echoed in the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls' report. Investing in cellular connectivity on Highway 16 is part of ensuring the safety of Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirited people.

Connecting British Columbia

Funding to expand cellular service along highways

In March 2023, the Province announced $75 million to expand cellular service to an estimated 550 kilometres of highway by 2027. This funding program is now open, and cellular service providers operating in B.C. have been invited to apply for funding through the Cellular Expansion Fund, administered by Northern Development Initiative Trust.

Cellular funding program

Next Generation 911 funding

In March 2023, the Province announced a $150-million investment. It will fund upgrades to B.C.’s 911 emergency communications system. The system is old and no longer works well with new technologies. The upgrades to Next Generation 911 will let people choose how to contact 911. They can use new options, like real-time text and caller location.

E-Comm 9-1-1 handles 99 per cent of B.C.’s 911 calls. It is leading Next Generation 911’s implementation in most B.C. cities. The Province has invested $150 million. This helps offset local governments' costs for moving to Next Generation 911. The investment is divided into two parts.

1. E-Comm 9-1-1 has received $90 million for technological upgrades.
2. The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) has received $60 million. This money is for costs such as staffing, training, and quality checks.

For more details, see the Province's news release.

Other funding programs

Funding for connectivity projects comes from many sources. It may be available to help with planning for connectivity in rural and remote communities. Please note this is not an exhaustive list:

Here are additional organizations that offer funding:

• CRTC Broadband Fund
• Union of BC Municipalities (Community Building Fund)
• Pathways to Technology
• Infrastructure Canada: Investing in Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure
• Coastal Community Credit Union (Building Healthier Communities Fund)